FINAL FY23 Annual Report - Flipbook - Page 8
Chile con Quesadilla
Woman & Minority-Owned Food & Beverage Business
Christina and Jason Richardson first
approached CEF in September 2019 for a
small business loan. They had previously
been denied by a local bank to open a
traditional brick-and-mortar, so they had
pivoted to a food truck. They decided
Christina’s green chile would be the
featured item and quesadillas would
separate them from the many taco trucks
in the Denver Metro area. The loan from
CEF helped them to finalize the necessary
modifications to the truck as they had
already expended a significant portion of
their own funds on various expenses such
as equipment and licenses.
They opened two days before the world
shut down due to the pandemic, but they
were determined to make their business a
success. They ventured to apartment
complexes, markets, and wherever an
opportunity arose, they sold their delicious
non-traditional Mexican food. Due to an
unexpected advantage from the pandemic,
Chile Con Quesadilla garnered a dedicated
following and continued to grow with the
help of numerous awards including a top
food truck mention in 303 Magazine.
While the food truck had been extremely
successful, they were proud, but not
satisfied, and not finished. This is when CEF
came into the picture again with a much
larger loan to open a 6,000 square-foot
brick-and-mortar location in Brighton. They
filled this building with a kitchen, bar,
seating, and even a 2-lane bowling alley.
This time they opened on a much more
exciting date – May 5, 2023.
We’re proud, but not
satisified and not finished.
They may have started with simple
ambitions, but that is not where they
intend to stay. They have plans to expand
with the next location in a food hall in
Longmont. Christina, Jason, and son Dillon
have worked very hard for all they have
achieved and CEF is proud to have been a
part of their journey.
PAGE 7